The 2019 Hamlet impressions (Tokyo)
Below are my impressions after watching Hamlet, produced by Simon Godwin for Theatre Cocoon Bunkamura with the main star Okada Masaki. Readers who would like to see the August WOWOW recording without spoilers SHOULD NOT read this post. Hamlet doesn’t contain spoilers per se, but every production is different, every show has its nuances. At the same time, there are overseas fans who want to read this review, and for them, I upload this review, with big spoiler tags that apply to details and nuances. Click this link for my impressions of the Osaka Hamlet show.
(Update 18 Sept'19: Click here to read my impressions after re-watching 'Hamlet' at WOWOW)
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From the softly falling snow upon the rotating stage to Hamlet vs Laertes duel, from Ophelia’s melancholic song to Gertrude’s haughtiness, and up to Hamlet’s wrath as he force-fed Claudius with the latter’s own poison, the only thing to miss in Simon Godwin's Hamlet production is blinking your own eyes during the show.
When I learned last November that Okada Masaki would play Hamlet under Simon Godwin’s tutelage, I immediately studied this famous Shakespearean drama to arrive at a conclusion that Hamlet was a difficult character to play. If not difficult, at least exhaustive. Okada Masaki himself said so in one of his interviews that I got to translate. But - just as I never doubted his ability to play Yurakutei Yakumo in SGRS - never I doubted that he would be able to deliver the Hamlet role.
And I was right.
Okada Masaki ‘s Hamlet was amazing. Masaki shone on stage as Prince Hamlet, as Hamlet Ojīsama. As His Highness (殿下, denka), as his best friend Horatio would call him. As expected, Masaki gave all that he had, has, for this role.
(Physically and emotionally, to the extent that Horatio had to support Hamlet as the latter walked into a scene, to the extent that Hamlet was limping even before Laertes’ sword slashed his shin and to the extent that Masaki dragged himself out after a 4th curtain call that Kuroki Haru checked whether he was okay).
And I left the stage with such a trembling heart that kept beating wildly through the night.
NUANCE SPOILERS!
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The progression of Okada Masaki’s Hamlet
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| "Frailty, thy name is woman!" (Photo by Hosono Shinji) |
Okada’s Hamlet started as a depressed 21-22 years old son due to his thinly-veiled disappointment that his mother Queen Gertrude (played excellently by Matsuyuki Yatsuko) did not deign to observe the proper mourning period upon the death of her husband (Hamlet’s father, King Hamlet) before marrying Claudius (Prince Hamlet’s uncle). In fact, Hamlet was so depressed because of his mother’s decision that he tried to slit his wrists off-scene before his first appearance in Act 1 Scene 2. Later, when Hamlet found out from the Ghost (his father’s spirit) that his father was murdered, his depression turned into anger, and then pretend-madness. Then, more anger as Hamlet realised Claudius and Polonius were eavesdropping the conversations between him and Ophelia, and him and Gertrude.
There were also times during this “crazy” period when Hamlet was genuinely sad. On Act 3 Scene 1, just before the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy, Gertrude was walking up the stairs (Soutra Gilmour’s revolving stage is amazing – more on that later) when she bumped into the “crazy” Hamlet. Mother and son froze on the spot. When Hamlet opened his mouth to say something, his mother hastily left, leaving the son colder than ever. Thus follows Hamlet’s soliloquy.
Waved into these strings of depression and anger was some sadness, particularly when Hamlet realised his mother didn’t want to rebuild bridges between them, a raw vulnerable moment when he realised Ophelia had been watching his “To be or not to be” soliloquy, and more sadness when he found out that Ophelia had died… Then, Masaki displayed Hamlet’s gallantry when he shook Aoyagi Sho’s Laertes’ hands before the “friendly” duel started.
Then… the crème de la crème: The Fencing Scene (Act 5, Scene 2). Okada Masaki channelled his otherwise rarely-shown warrior side when he and Aoyagi Sho engaged in a very excellent fencing duel. Perhaps the total-white suit helped, but Masaki looked beautiful, graceful and yet lethal at the same time in his fencing suit, all the while his wet cowlick flicked around for irresistible hotness effect. When Hamlet was testing his fencing sword, feeling its flexibility in his hand as he nodded to Horatio, I noticed Masaki’s thin moustache vibrantly against his white fencing suit. Then, as the scene progressed, I realised that I was watching a frustrated young adult transforming into a prince: Prince Hamlet finally trying to make things right.
(Okada Masaki’s Hamlet pirouetting in the air before giving Laertes a second hit during the duel... I want THAT in a photograph.)
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| The fencing scene was definitely de creme de la creme of this production (Photo by Hosono Shinji) |
Then we have Hamlet’s wrath when he found out that Claudius poisoned the wine, hence accidentally killing Gertrude. For Claudius to kill Hamlet’s remaining parent, Okada Masaki became such a scary, vengeful Hamlet who force-fed his uncle with his own poison. Despite knowing that it was the last scene, I froze on my seat as if I was watching the God of Justice himself delivering his punishment to a person who had caused him the lives of his parents (though Hamlet was also partly to blame for Ophelia’s death, IMO). But indeed, just as Okada Masaki shone in his duel with Laertes, here in the poison-feeding scene, he was down-right petrifying. Shedding off the pretence that he was mad, revealing the Executioner inside, his anger was justified, his action was like the revenge of a god of war.
And yet, this is another progression of Hamlet’s anger. When he found out that his father was murdered, his anger was that of a son’s. When he found out that Claudius and Polonius were eavesdropping, his anger was similar to that of a young adult who was angry that his privacy was trespassed. Yet, when Hamlet realised that Claudius had again done the unthinkable by poisoning the wine, his anger was that of a mature person. It was not the anger of a mad man, nor a young adult broken-hearted because he couldn’t see his sweetheart. Masaki’s anger here reminded me of Yamada Haruhiko’s anger for justice with an extra dose of vengeance.
To wrap up the heart-beating role, Masaki’s Hamlet earnestly begged Horatio not to kill himself, for he had to live to tell the truth. After entrusting his throne to the incoming Fortinbras, Masaki’s Hamlet bowed out of the stage with his famous “The rest is silence”.
後は沈黙。。。
Ato wa chinmoku…
(thanks to Benio-san for the exact words…)
And as I gave Okada Masaki and the rest of the crew my standing ovation, I marvelled at the sight of this young man who has once more cemented his place amongst serious, dedicated stage actors.
Hamlet’s soliloquys and lines
Many people (including fans and Okada Masaki himself) had been wondering how he’d perform the “To be or not to be” soliloquy, arguably the most important soliloquy of Shakespeare.
Well, for sure he didn’t do that the way Kenneth Brannagh did (and Kenneth’s was the only Hamlet I’ve seen so far…). Masaki’s Hamlet was really thinking of suicide when he said that; not just pondering between two options. As we know that his Hamlet actually slit his wrists before the play started (we see his bandaged hands due to that suicide trial), we know that this Hamlet was already depressed before he found out that his dad was murdered. But the unspoken scene before this scene (Gertrude walking up the stairs and bumping into his son without her deigning to greet him), seemed to have magnified Hamlet’s blue.
Thus his “To be or not to be”.
Ikiru beki ka, shinu beki ka, sore ga mondai da.
It was uttered as Hamlet leaned towards considering suicide. Why, this Hamlet was contemplating to hang himself, with a belt, n he was tethering sooo close to the edge of the tower, with his belt as a noose.
(okay, that was so dangerous. What if he slipped???)
Then, just as in the original soliloquy, Hamlet snapped out of it.
(read my Osaka review to find out another new aspect I observed in Osaka for this scene; Masaki's Hamlet was actually scared when he said the following "To die, to sleep" part)
Hamlet then descended the stairs and – to his surprise – was met by Ophelia, who had been listening to his soliloquy in sorrow. Here Hamlet showed the unspoken sorrow that the woman he loved had witnessed his weak moment. Thus “The fair Ophelia”, utsukushii Ophelia, was uttered in regret, for her witnessing his vulnerable side, and for the lies he had to show and tell her.
The next famous line afterwards would be “Get thee to a nunnery”. Amadera ni ike. 尼寺に行け！
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| The many ways of saying "Get thee to a nunnery" (Photo by Hosono Shinji) |
Okada Masaki’s Hamlet uttered these words several times (in the original work, Hamlet said it five times). During the first show I watched (31 May evening), Masaki’s tones getting sadder each time, interwoven with Ophelia’s attempts of consoling Hamlet. From a new friend I met on that show, I understand though that Masaki changed his tone for this scene for the next afternoon show. He was rather angry when he said that. That is interesting, because during my second show (1 June), the tone was still a mixture of anger and sadness. I think Hamlet was afraid of taking Ophelia’s hands, lest she dissolved his resolve to kill Claudius, lest he confessed his plans to her. Hence the “Get thee to a nunnery” in a sad manner.
Coming back to the first Hamlet scene: “Frailty thy name is woman”. When I read this line, I thought it would be uttered in cynicism. However, Masaki’s “Yowaimono, kono na wa onna!” was definitely uttered in anger, in frustration, not just in cynicism. An interesting and apt choice, given that this Hamlet was so sick of the PDAs (public display of affection) between Queen Mother and Claudius.
There was one line though that I wish Okada Masaki’s Hamlet would say, but it wasn’t said in the book nor in this production (though it could be said in a flashback). Hamlet’s love letter to Ophelia, which was – alas – read with no passion by Polonius. Can you imagine Masaki saying these lines?
Doubt thou the stars are fire,
Doubt that the sun doth move,
Doubt truth to be a liar,
But never doubt I love
I can clearly imagine that. Can someone ask Masaki to read these lines, please?
The unspoken moments
In one of his interviews about this production, Simon Godwin commented how there are so many ways to interpret Shakespeare. Since the Bard wrote his plays in the format of a play (as in, not a novel), there are many ways to interpret the lines. “To be or not to be” can be uttered in so many ways, so was “Get thee to a nunnery”, as Masaki has displayed in this production.
Yet, at the same time, the blank spaces, the white spaces if you would, also give directors, actors and actresses room for creativity. In this production, before the “To be or not to be”, Gertrude accidentally met Hamlet, yet was unable (or unwilling) to say anything to her own son, thus pushing Hamlet towards his suicidal thoughts. Those unspoken words spoke volumes in the expressions of the two characters; Gertrude’s stubborn haughtiness and Hamlet’s longing for his mother’s display of affection. By the same token, Ophelia reaching out for Hamlet before she exited Act 1 Scene 2 was very powerful, for it showed that she truly loved Hamlet and wanted to console him. At the end of the spectrum, in a manly display of alpha-maleness, Hamlet and Fortinbras seized each other just before Hamlet’s ship left for England was also commendable.
Oh yes, it's not really counted as an unspoken moment, but the play had the break in almost at the end of Act 3, Scene 3; around Line 79. Check the original source...I won't spoil it here, but it's a really nice way to break the story if you ask me!
Funny moments in Hamlet
Perhaps the silver lining of the madness of Hamlet in this play is that it gives Okada Masaki (and other actors) a real opportunity to laugh the stress off. Yes, during this period of Hamlet’s madness, Masaki oscillated between a depressed anger, grieve and angry madness. However, there were times when Hamlet’s madness was a “funny” madness as well. For instance, where he exchanged banters with Polonius. His “Excellently well. You are a fishmonger” and “Words, words, words” (Act 2, Scene 2) were very funny. For the last bit, Masaki showed his note/book to everyone around him, saying “Kotoba da! Kotoba!” gleefully, not unlike Haiji when he was in his playful mode.
Then there was a scene where Polonius told Hamlet that the former once played Julius Caesar in a drama. Polonius’ portrayal of his Julius Caesar (he showed how JC was stabbed, twice) was totally comical. I forgot how Hamlet’s expression was at that scene, but I think he was laughing. (me too! I want to see Polonius doing that as a GIF!)
(Note 13 June 2019: I know now what Masaki's Hamlet's expression was during this scene. Click my Osaka review for the info).
There were other funny scenes too outside the “madness” scene. Ophelia stealing a drink from her dad’s cup (cos Polonius was being himself, talking too much) was funny. Hamlet forgetting the name of his guard was also cute. He later gave up trying to recall the name and just said “eee, gokuro!” (“eh, good work!”). Hamlet getting annoyed because the ghost kept demanding Horatio et al to swear by Hamlet’s knife (and thus the little group kept changing spots) was also – as expected – funny.
'Tis a glowing production
I have never seen a Hamlet on stage before. I have seen Kenneth Brannagh’s Romeo and Juliet in London, but I have never seen Ninagawa Yukio-san’s Shakespeare production (that Macbeth OMG…). But I don’t think you need a prior experience to appreciate the beauty of Simon Godwin’s Hamlet.
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| The rotating stage (this one in Morinomiya Osaka), photo from Nagashima Keizo's Twitter |
The rotating stage was definitely one of the delights of this production. Soutra Gilmour created a grand setting there (click here for her Hamlet portfolio)! The rotating stage gives us the sorrow of Ophelia as she was told off by Hamlet... and also Hamlet’s disbelief n anger as he saw how his mother had a hot bedroom scene with his uncle...and Horatio’s despair for his friend’s fate. The snow that softly fell upon Elsinore created such an eerie atmosphere, whilst at the same time we see Ophelia’s mourning, Hamlet’s departure for England and other scenes, just like we would when watching a movie...I didn’t get the fairy tale feeling like I would when I watched Midsummer’s Night dream, but there was a surreal feeling about the mist and the snow...
Another nice touch in the production: when Laertes n his mob/army ransacked the palace, they carried a banner with Danish writing on it (“Laertes skal være vorese kongen”). Well, there was another banner in English with “Laertes should be the King!”, so I think the Danish version must mean the same thing.
“Laertes should be King!”
(Click Soutra Gilmour's website to see the Hamlet section, this banner is there)
Oh, and Guildenstern was a woman (played by the funny Uchida Yasuko). Some of the guards were women too. The captain who gave Hamlet’s letter to Horatio was also a woman. I read somewhere that Simon Godwin liked to juxtapose genders in his plays, and I think this is one of his moves to make the play more gender-balanced.
If there is one regret that I have about this production, that is that Simon Godwin (and Ms Gilmour) only stayed for the first few days of the show. It’s understandable, given it must be very expensive to have them staying the whole month of Hamlet’s run. What amazes me is, despite the absence of Simon Godwin here (he left for the UK after Day 5 show for a summer stage play), this production is very strong n captivated many hearts. I just wish Simon returns for Osaka...
I’m alas not very crazy about the costumes, except for Masaki’s white suit (that was to die for), the black suit and the navy suit (which alas was used only for promotional materials, not for the stage). Many of the costumes are too modern for my taste. Since the army and guard costumes (as well as Polonius’, come to think of that) particularly invoked the memories of the Chinese revolution army, I find them not memorable. Gertrude’s cape and Ophelia’s first gown were too geometric to my taste, but I like the gowns they wore later.
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| Not crazy about these costumes... but the rotating scenes are to die for (Photo by Hosono Shinji) |
However, as Benio-san remarked, the costumes might have been designed to attract young viewers who might not otherwise be attracted to Hamlet. And, as I said, I do love Ophelia’s later gowns; they are innocent and romantic with their simple lines. Gertrude’s dark gowns also suited her personality greatly.
The translation
RF asked whether this version of Hamlet was faithful to the original source. Having read Hamlet only once (except for occasional flicks here and there to find references), my answer is: yes. However, there must be one big difference between the Japanese n the British Hamlet. The original work was written in old English, which became the faithful base for western theatre production. However, many of the Japanese words weren’t uttered in an ancient way, say in Heian manner. Thus, they must have different effects. I mean, there were dialogues delivered very politely, but would they have the same effects as those of the old English?
I also understand that there are at least two versions of Hamlet translations in Japanese. I wish I have enough mastery of Japanese to be able to see the difference between the two…
(The following one paragraph was added on 8 July 2018)
However, after re-reading two Japanese versions of Hamlet, I think the Hamlet translation is still easier to understand. My Osaka fan-friend said that the language used in Hamlet reminded her of her grandfather's language (haha!). However, when I read it, it seems still quite normal for me. Perhaps because I didn't read everything, and because my Japanese is still N4-5 level. But, based on my watching two Taiga dramas (the 2012 Taira no Kiyomori and the 2003 Musashi), I don't think that the Japanese language used in Hamlet imitated the Heian Era, or even the old Azuchi-Momoyama Era (which would coincide with Shakespeare's era). Of course, the Taiga drama actors and actresses wouldn't use the exact ways of the Heian/Momoyama/Edo era of speaking; audience wouldn't have a clue what they meant perhaps. But certainly the Japanese used in this Hamlet was definitely closer to the modern Japanese language. Thus, unlike average native English speakers who might struggle with pure Shakespearean dialogs, average native Japanese speakers would not find it hard to understand Simon Godwin's Hamlet.
The psychologies of Hamlet and other characters
Yaone was asking whether Hamlet had an Oedipus Complex with Gertrude. I didn’t catch that when I read the original novel (perhaps the old English language was too difficult for me to catch that nuance), and I certainly didn’t catch that in Simon Godwin’s play either. Hamlet was a son who was disappointed that his mother remarried too soon to a man lesser than his father.
Some analysts pointed out that Ophelia and Laertes had incestuous relationship. While I agree that the original work might have hinted it as such, I failed to see it here in this production. Here, Ophelia and Laertes were normal siblings. Laertes’ sorrow for losing Ophelia was that of a brother. His language might have been more flowery than when uttered in a totally modern sense, but it didn’t make his sorrow that of a lover.
And what of Hamlet and Ophelia? As in the original work, the most apparent prove of their alleged love was Hamlet’s love letters that Polonius read and Ophelia’s unveiled love and concerns for Hamlet. Hamlet’s mellow, regretful tone as he said “Oh, fair Ophelia”, “utsukushii Ophelia” can be construed as his regret for having to lie to her. His “Get thee to a nunnery” tones oscillated between anger and sorrow, and I read it as him mixing up his mother’s issues and his regret for not being able to be with Ophelia (for now revenge was his main agenda).
Okada’s Hamlet did show regret when he realised he had killed Polonius, but to me it was more that the issue became more complicated now. That regret was not long enough to make Hamlet thinking how broken-hearted Ophelia would be when she found out that her father had been murdered (or that something was fishy with his death). Perhaps, Hamlet had never loved Ophelia that deep. He was sad that Ophelia died, but he didn’t grieve enough for her loss.
(Note 13 June 2019: I debated for a while whether Hamlet was truly heartless in his action of accidentally murdering Polonius. As in, whether he truly did not regret it. However, Gertrude answered that question for me. In Act 4, Scene 1, Line 27, Gertrude said, "He weeps for what is done."
Therefore, Masaki crying as he dragged Polonius' lifeless body was true to the source. Hamlet did regret killing Polonius; the script was just not enough to explore it, but the clue was there and this production explored it well with the way Masaki conveyed that emotion.
I am also now convinced that Hamlet actually did love Ophelia. Again, the script was not enough to show it, but at least, Masaki's Hamlet did love Ophelia. The way he screamed that part convinced me of his feelings - see my Osaka review for that)
Speaking of which, was it necessary for Hamlet to pretend to be crazy? I think Hamlet’s argument is that Claudius et al would be less wary of him snooping around if the Prince was mad, rather than if the Prince launched a formal inquest. Yet, was Hamlet the innocent part here? Had he been straightforward with his inquest, Polonius might have been still alive, and Ophelia wouldn’t lose her mind and accidentally drowned.
To me, this is the main gist of the title (the “Tragedy” of Hamlet). Hamlet’s tragedy was linked not just to the king’s murder. It was also linked to his strategy pretending to be mad. I’m sure there’s at least a paper out there talking about Hamlet’s madness, but I do think that the real madness of Hamlet is not that pretend-madness. By pretending to be mad, Hamlet let the madness and revenge carried him away. It was him blinded by his revenge that he didn’t see the suffering he inflicted upon Ophelia by his revenge. The failure to see the consequence of his actions
Anyway, all these complexities make a difficult Hamlet to play. Did Okada Masaki play him well? Bias as I may, I’m not the only one who thinks that he did a great job at it. I think this grey character really suits him. He portrayed so many facets from crazy-pretend, despair, anger, and even love were there. Masaki is at his best when he portrays characters with various layers (like, ahem, Yamada Haruhiko, Yurakutei Yakumo, and Nijimura Keichō). Hamlet adds to that collection of grey characters. Characters that we don’t fall in love in the first place, yet after knowing them, we cannot help but loving them. I wasn’t sympathising with Masaki’s Hamlet in the first place. He was not the white knight a princess (or a fan girl like me) wants. Rather, just as the black suit he wore in the first act, Masaki’s Hamlet was a black knight. A knight with issues, with anger management issues.
Like the Batman.
Hamlet wasn’t a perfect prince throughout almost the entire play, and Masaki didn’t pretend he was a perfect prince. In fact, as I said, it was difficult for me to adore his Hamlet because of those lack of foresight and responsibilities (particularly regarding Polonius and Ophelia). Having said that, Hamlet was only 22 years old when all these happened, so I suppose I shouldn’t be too hard on him?
(I mean: yes, Masaki played Hamlet perfectly, and he played with my emotions very well. But I didn’t want to befriend that Hamlet, at least until the last act)
Only in the last act, when Hamlet finally matured up (well, and he suited up in a beautiful white suit), only then I saw him as deserving being called "Prince Hamlet". He gallantly apologised for being an @$$ to Laertes, and when he found out that Laertes’ sword was laced with poison, knowing that Claudius was behind it, Hamlet didn’t direct his anger to Laertes. He went straight to the main villain and finished him off. He then bestowed his kingdom to Fortinbras (via Horatio) after begging Horatio to remain alive.
Okada Masaki completely messed up with my emotions, and because of that, I think his Hamlet was amazing. He didn’t make me falling head over heels for his gorgeousness and his gallantry in the first act. Yet, in the last act, he totally won me over.
It takes a village (of excellent cast)
To make a great Hamlet. Okada Masaki’s amazing Hamlet would limp through the production had he not been supported by an amazing cast. I mean, is there a queen grander than Matsuyuki Yasuko’s Gertrude? There might, but this Queen Gertrude was so royal it scares me. Also, the poignant innocence and the pitiful madness of Kuroki Haru’s Ophelia... I know Kuroki Haru is not a stranger to awards, but I never truly saw her portfolio until now, and now I understand how she got those many awards (though I don’t equate not having awards with bad performance; some juries are just weird. Look at Alan Rickman who never got an Oscar… or Michael Miu who only got his first award two years ago or so… or even Masaki whose last award before getting two awards for the 2018 Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū was for the 2016 Yutori Desu Ga).
But yeah anyway, I really like Haru’s Ophelia, and I wish that we have more Hamlet-Ophelia scenes rather than those implied...
Aoyagi Shō was a convincing Laertes. His sorrow upon the death of Ophelia was touching, his anger when he lost his dad (and later Ophelia) matched that of Hamlet's. Aoyagi reminded me of Yamazaki Ikusaburo's Sukeroku in Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū; they both were good counterparts for Masaki's Hamlet and Yakumo, respectively.
Yamazaki Hajime was an amazing Polonius, while Yukui Kiichi was amazing as the @$$holic Claudius. I think Tateyama Hayata’s Horatio was definitely charming; he was the confidant that Hamlet needed, and his role should have been promoted more in the posters. It is strange that Horatio was not in the poster, and yet Fortinbras was (well, I think the star factor for Murakami Nijiro was considered higher than Tateyama’s, but still…). Speaking of Fortinbras, Murakami was definitely an eye-candy there, though I wish that there were more flashbacks of Fortinbras doing whatever to make us understand more of his character (I thought there was a production that included more Fortinbras flashbacks or filler scenes; was it Simon Godwin’s 2016 Hamlet?)
So yes, it takes a village to make a great Hamlet, and I’m glad Masaki has this team to bring forth the magic of this production.
Fan-greeting Masaki
(aka when I suddenly turned into a banshee school girl)
At the end of 1 June show, I stalked Masaki. Well, the previous night I also attempted to get a glance of him through the back stage door, but he left through another door, just around the corner, and I didn’t see him. This time, a new friend, a very kind fan, took me there (perchance after seeing me so disappointed that I failed to see Masaki).
After waiting for a good few minutes, perhaps 20 min at least, we saw a pair of white sneakers walking into a black car. Then the car passed us by. And just like in Osaka 2018, I bowed to him in total respect and utter silence.
(I give you my words: I was very polite when I fan-greeted Masaki for the 2018 Ningen Gowasan in Osaka)
Then... a beautiful curly-haired head popped from the back seat towards the driver’s seat, tilting towards the window facing us the fans. Okada Masaki popped his beautiful head and WAVED to greet his fans. And he cast his beautiful smile.
Then I heard a shriek. Like a banshee school girl shriek. More like a banshee’s than a school girl’s shriek. A few seconds later, to my horror I realised it was me.
Yep, against my decorum, I shrieked upon seeing Masaki.
And I was aghast to hear myself screaming like banshee like that. Yet, to my additional horror, I heard myself screaming, an additional “Arigatō! Masaki, thank you!”
(Like, hey yo! It's me the uncouth international fan, here to greet you, yo!)
And I knew I’m dead, dead, dead.
For I’ve breached the numero uno of stage play fan greet in Japan. I.e., don’t behave like banshees because this is. Stage Art. Not live music concert.
This gaijin has definitely showed no manner whatsoever, and I’m truly sorry!
But truth be told, despite me being sorry, I’m also now glad that I was that spontaneous, cos there was no way I would say “thank you” like that had I had a second thought. Yes it was impolite, and I will bring a big duct tape to tape my mouth shut the next time... but this time, I’m sort of glad I screamed my gratitude. Only, I should’ve not said his name out loud. That one, I truly regret.
Point.
Won’t do it next time. Will bring a duct tape to tape my mouth shut next time. Gomen...
I am happy though, that I met some new friends during this whole fan-greeting saga. My dear new Japanese friend who found me again on my seat after the show (though my first email went missing) and took me to the right spot, thank you so much!! Words CANNOT say how grateful I am for knowing you! Then I met three Chinese ladies, one of them living in Tokyo, the other two flew from China just to see Masaki's Hamlet. I'm also glad to have met you girls! (we shrieked together, though I admittedly was the loudest...)
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| With three Chinese ladies, two of whom just came from China to see Masaki's Hamlet! |
Post script (post 2nd show)
I understand why some fans lost sleep after watching Hamlet. I was too. I was in Magome Gifu two days ago, waking up in the middle of the night in one of the beautiful Nakasendo post towns, when I realised that I missed Okada Masaki’s Hamlet. I felt like a silly school girl having a crush on her idol. I wonder if Masaki also suddenly woke up at night n replayed d scenes n lines? And that he suddenly remembered tomorrow was a day off, so he can wake up late?
Anyway, I will add more after the 3rd show I watch (in Osaka). Meanwhile, please rest well, Masaki. I know you must be in Osaka already now, rehearsing etc., but please take care. A few more days, and that’s it. You’ll wrap your first Shakespeare play, and I’m sure there will be more to come…
(I'll add more photos later. I'm now in Mimasaka and I need to pack and go to the Musashi Museum...)
